Australia hold off Samoa to complete World Cup warm-up with win

Australia held off a late rally from Somoa to complete their World Cup warm-up with a 34-15 win in Parramatta.

The Wallabies rested captain Michael Hooper, with flanker David Pocock leading a mostly second-string side and playing for just under an hour on his return from a calf injury problem at Bankwest Stadium.

Pocock helped set up lock Adam Coleman to run in the opening try after eight minutes, with a fine solo effort from Marika Koroibete and scores by Adam Ashley-Cooper and Lukhan Salakaia-Loto making it 22-3 at the half-time interval.

Samoa, though, produced a recovery as scrum-half Dwayne Polataivao, on as a replacement, scored twice in the space of eight minutes towards the hour mark, just after Coleman had been forced off with a wrist problem.

However, Dane Haylett-Petty and Matt To'omua both produced late tries to see Michael Cheika's men home.

Australia are alongside Wales in Pool D at the World Cup and open their bid for a third title against Fiji in Sapporo on September 21.